Human Geography AP

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Unit I.	Geography: Its Nature and Perspectives (5-10%)

 * /Unit Introduction/
 * /Geography as a field of inquiry/
 * /Evolution of key geographical concepts and models associated with notable geographers/
 * /Key concepts underlying the geographical perspective: location, space, place, scale, pattern, regionalization, and globalization/
 * /Key geographical skills/


 * /How to use and think about maps and spatial data/
 * /How to understand and interpret the implications of associations among phenomena in places/
 * /How to recognize and interpret at different scales the relationships among patterns and processes/
 * /How to define regions and evaluate the regionalization process/
 * /How to characterize and analyze changing interconnections among places/


 * /Geographic technologies, such as GIS, remote sensing, and GPS/
 * /Sources of geographical ideas and data: the field, census data, and satellite imagery/

Unit II.	Population (13–17%)

 * /Geographical analysis of population/
 * /Density, distribution, and scale/
 * /Implications of various densities and distributions/
 * /Patterns of composition: age, sex, race, and ethnicity/
 * /Population and natural hazards: past, present, and future/


 * /Population growth and decline over time and space/
 * /Historical trends and projections for the future/
 * /Theories of population growth, including the Demographic Transition Model/
 * /Patterns of fertility, mortality, and health/
 * /Regional variations of demographic transitions/
 * /Effects of population policies/


 * /Population movement/
 * /Migration selectivity/
 * /Major voluntary and involuntary migrations at different scales/
 * /Theories of migration, including push and pull factors, human capital, and life course/
 * /International migration and refugees/
 * /Socioeconomic consequences of migration/

Unit III.	Cultural Patterns and Processes (13–17%)

 * /Concepts of culture/
 * /Traits/
 * /Diffusion/
 * /Acculturation, assimilation, and globalization/
 * /Cultural regions/


 * /Cultural differences/
 * /Language/
 * /Religion/
 * /Ethnicity/
 * /Gender/
 * /Popular and folk culture/


 * /Cultural landscapes and cultural identity/
 * /Values and preferences/
 * /Symbolic landscapes and sense of place/
 * /Environmental impact of cultural attitudes and practices/

Unit IV.	Political Organization of Space (13–17%)

 * /Territorial dimensions of politics/
 * /The concept of territoriality/
 * /The nature and meaning of boundaries/
 * /Influences of boundaries on identity, interaction, and exchange/
 * /Federal and unitary states/
 * /Spatial relationships between political patterns and patterns of ethnicity, economy, and environment/


 * /Evolution of the contemporary political pattern/
 * /The nation-state concept/
 * /Colonialism and imperialism/
 * /Democratization/


 * /Changes and challenges to political–territorial arrangements/
 * /Changing nature of sovereignty/
 * /Fragmentation, unification, alliance/
 * /Supranationalism and devolution/
 * /Electoral geography, including gerrymandering/
 * /Terrorism/

Unit V.	Agriculture and Rural Land Use (13–17%)

 * /Development and diffusion of agriculture/
 * /Neolithic Agricultural Revolution/
 * /Second Agricultural Revolution/
 * /Green Revolution/
 * /Modern Commercial Agriculture/


 * /Major agricultural production regions/
 * /Agricultural systems associated with major bioclimatic zones/
 * /Variations within major zones and effects of markets/
 * /Linkages and flows among regions of food production and consumption/


 * /Rural land use and settlement patterns/
 * /Models of agricultural land use, including von Thünen’s model/
 * /Settlement patterns associated with major agriculture types/
 * /Land use/land cover change, irrigation, conservation(desertification, deforestation)/


 * /Modern commercial agriculture/
 * /Biotechnology, including genetically modified plants and animals/
 * /Spatial organization and diffusion of industrial agriculture/
 * /Organic farming and local food production/
 * /Environmental impacts of agriculture/

Unit VI.	Industrialization and Economic Development (13–17%)

 * /Growth and diffusion of industrialization/
 * /The changing roles of energy and technology/
 * /Industrial Revolution/
 * /Evolution of economic cores and peripheries/
 * /Geographic critiques of models of economic localization(i.e., bid rent, comparative costs of transportation), industrial location, economic development, and world systems/


 * /Contemporary patterns and impacts of industrialization and development/
 * /Spatial organization of the world economy/
 * /Variations in levels of development/
 * /Deindustrialization and economic restructuring/
 * /Globalization and international division of labor/
 * /Natural resources and environmental concerns/
 * /Sustainable development/
 * /Local development initiatives: government policies/
 * /Women in development/

Unit VII.	Cities and Urban Land Use (13–17%)

 * /Development and character of cities/
 * /Origin of cities/
 * /Rural–urban migration and urban growth/
 * /Global cities and megacities/
 * /Suburbanization and edge cities/


 * /Models of urban systems/
 * /Rank-size rule/
 * /Central place theory/
 * /Gravity model/


 * /Models of internal city structure/
 * /Concentric zone model/
 * /Sector model/
 * /Multiple-nuclei model/
 * /Changing employment mix/
 * /Changing demographic and social structures/
 * /Uneven development, ghettoization, and gentrification/


 * /Built environment and social space/
 * /Housing/
 * /Transportation and infrastructure/
 * /Political organization of urban areas/
 * /Urban planning and design/
 * /Patterns of race, ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status/